Relates to classroom instruction in the humane treatment of animals and the requirement of training in the humane treatment of animals for the certification or licensing of classroom teachers, teaching assistants, pupil personnel service professionals, school administrators or supervisors or superintendents of schools.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
427
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY(Prefiled)
January 7, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. KAVANAGH, BENJAMIN, COLTON, EDDINGTON, LUPARDO,
MAYERSOHN, MILLMAN, PERRY, PHEFFER, J. RIVERA, SPANO, TITONE, ALFANO,
ERRIGO, THIELE, WALKER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BOYLAND,
CLARK, ESPAILLAT, FINCH, MARKEY, McENENY, McKEVITT, STIRPE, TOBACCO,
TOWNSEND, WEISENBERG -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to classroom instruction
in the humane treatment of animals and the requirement of training in
the humane treatment of animals for the certification or licensing of
classroom teachers, teaching assistants, pupil personnel service
professionals, school administrators or supervisors or superintendents
of schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 809 of the education law, as
2 amended by chapter 542 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 1. The officer, board or commission authorized or required to
5 prescribe courses of instruction shall cause instruction to be given in
6 every elementary school under state control or supported wholly or part-
7 ly by public money of the state, in the humane treatment and protection
8 of animals and the importance of the part they play in the economy of
9 nature as well as the necessity of controlling the proliferation of
10 animals which are subsequently abandoned and caused to suffer extreme
11 cruelty. Such instruction shall be for such period of time during each
12 school year as the board of regents may prescribe and may be joined with
13 work in literature, reading, language, nature study or ethnology. Such
14 weekly instruction may be divided into two or more periods. The commis-
15 sioner shall notify every school district of the requirement to provide
16 such instruction and shall direct each school district to act in accord-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01009-01-9
A. 427 2
1 ance with this requirement. A school district shall not be entitled to
2 participate in the public school money on account of any school or the
3 attendance at any school subject to the provisions of this section, if
4 the instruction required hereby is not given therein.
5 § 2. Subdivision 6 of section 809 of the education law is renumbered
6 subdivision 7 and a new subdivision 6 is added to read as follows:
7 6. To the extent moneys are appropriated therefor, the commissioner
8 shall provide grants to teachers for any expenses incurred for training,
9 workshops, training videos, webcasts and any other resources which are
10 used for the purposes of complying with this section.
11 § 3. Section 3004 of the education law is amended by adding a new
12 subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
13 3-a. The commissioner shall prescribe regulations requiring that all
14 persons applying on or after the one hundred eightieth day after this
15 subdivision takes effect for a teaching certificate or license, includ-
16 ing but not limited to a certificate or license valid for service as a
17 classroom teacher, teaching assistant, pupil personnel service profes-
18 sional, school administrator or supervisor or superintendent of schools,
19 shall, in addition to all the other certification or licensing require-
20 ments, have completed two hours of course work or training in instruc-
21 tion in the humane treatment of animals and the prevention and inter-
22 vention of animal cruelty. The course work or training shall be obtained
23 from an institution or provider which has been approved by the depart-
24 ment to provide such course work or training. Such course work or train-
25 ing may be provided by educational institutions, school districts,
26 boards of cooperative educational services, humane education organiza-
27 tions or animal welfare organizations. Such regulations shall also
28 require that school districts and boards of cooperative educational
29 services include training for teachers and other certified or licensed
30 employees in the humane treatment of animals and the prevention and
31 intervention of animal cruelty, in their required professional develop-
32 ment plans.
33 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
